Car-seat.



U. KAWASAKI.

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16. I912.

Patented June 22, 1915. A

WITNESSES.

H m U A 'UEILAKICHI KAWASAKI, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CAR-SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application filed December 16, 1912. Serial No. 736,931.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, UTAKIOHI KAWASAKI,acitizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county ofKingand State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Seats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in seats for railway cars.

The object of the invention is the provision of a shelfat the back of acar-seat for the accommodatibn of the occupants in the seat immediatelytherebehind.

A further object of the invention is to provide said devices uponcar-seats arranged to be faced in either direction by swinging theback-section from one side to the other.

The invention consists in the novel construction of a tiltableback-section of a carseat having two folding leaves one of whichprovides the back rest for the occupant of the seat and the other orrear leaf may be lowered for the use as a shelf or book-rest for theoccupant of the next rearward seat and whereby each leaf serves in theaforesaid dual capacity according to the direction in which the chairback is positioned.

The invention further consists in the adaptation of locking andreleasing means of novel construction for the respective leaf section;and till further consists in the novel construction and adaptation ofpivot supports for the entire chair-back, as will be fully described inthe following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and finally set forth in the appended claims.

in said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-seat'embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view illustrating thelocking and unlocking mechanism; and Fig. A is a cross-sectional viewthrough H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detail of theinvention.

Referrin to said drawings, the reference numeral 1 esignates thesupports at the 0pposite ends of the car-seat, connected together byhorizontal bars 2 upon which the seat proper 3 is suitably supported.

The frame of the car-back is comprised of the side-members 4 upon eachside rigidly connected at their tops by a horizontally disposedchanneled tie-piece 5 provided with a cushioned covering 5 The lowerends of said members 4 upon each side are formed with a T-shapedextremity 6 at whose opposite ends are, respectively, pivotallyconnected the ends of a pair of parallel bars 7 whose lower oppositeends are similarly connected to a tiltable link 8 pivotally connect-' edintermediate its ends at 9 in the vertical axis and near the lowerportion of said side supports 1. Said frame is shown with a cushionedback which is desirably divided horizontally into an upper section, tobe presently described, and a lower section 10 fixedly secured betweensaid side-members 4. Within said cushioned back-section 10 arebacking-plates l1 rigidly connected to said frame-meinbers 4 and adaptedto have their lower edges rest upon the lateral sides of the seat 3 toafford a substantial support and stop for the back in its inclinednormal posi tion when facing in either direction.

As car-seats are usually designed for the occupancy of two people, theupper portion of the car-back is illustrated as divided vertically intotwo practically similar upper back or leaf-sections A and B. Each saidsection is comprised of a pair of oppositely disposed leaves 12 and 13each having an inner rigid plate 1 1 hingedly connected at their loweredges to each other and to a rod 15 mounted transversely in the frame.Said opposing plates are further connected adjacent their lateral edgesby folding braces 16 to limitthe amount of their opening to some thingless than ninety'degrees or sufficient to allow the open leaf to be inlevel condition. Said leaves are separated by a stop 17 upon therespective frame-member 4 which adords a space 18 between the leaves forthe reception of said braces 16 when in folded condition.

Assuming that the seats are facing forwardly in the car, the seat-backwill be inclined upwardly toward the rear. Then the forward leaf 12 isutilized as a back by the occupant of that seat while the rear leaf 13may be let down by the occupant of the seat next back thereof and usedas a table or shelf. As each leaf is the counterpart of the other whenthe car-seat is reversed by pushing the back over to the opposite side,the leaf 12 becomes in turn the leaf adapted to be used as a shelf whilethe other leaf 13 is utilized as a back-rest. Releasable locking devicesare provided for said leaves comprlsing a hook 19 for each leafpivotally connected together at 20 within the channel 5.

Said hooks are spring-pressed to engage in notches 21 of the respectiveleaf through compression spring 22 secured at its opposite ends betweenarms 23 of said hooks. When the dependent leaf is closed the respectivehook 19 engageswithin the notch 21. To release the same a rod 24: isrotatively mounted longitudinally of the channel 5 and between the arms23. Said rod extends through the side frame members 4 nearest the aisleof the car whereat it is provided with a key-seat 25 such as a slot thatmay be entered and the rod rotated with any suitable flat key. .The rodis further formed with a rectangularly directed tang 26 adapted toengageone or the other of said arms when the rod is turned and raise therespective hook upwardly from its connection with the leaf.

As there are two leaf-sections, A and B, the, rod to open the sectionfarthestremoved from the aisle, as B, will be longerthan the (ither andpositioned there'above, as shown in While theinvention has beendescribed with some detail, I do not intend to confine myself to theexact construction shown, as obviously various modifications and changesin parts may be made within the scope of the claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent ofthe United States, is

1. In a railway car-seat, a walk-over back frame, a back-sectioncomprising a pair of leaves hingedly connected to said frame and to eachother, and a brace for each of said leaves whereby either of said leavesmay be utilized as a back-rest and the other leaf employed as arearwardly directed shelf.

2. In a railway car-seat, a walk-over back frame, a back-section in saidframe comprising a pair of corresponding leaves hingedly December, 1912.

ends to each of said leaves, and means to re leasably secure said leavesin closed condition, whereby either of said leaves may be utilized as aback-rest and the other leaf employed as a rearwardly directed shelf.

i. In a railway car-seat, a walk-over back frame, a pair of leaveshingedly connected upon opposite sides of said frame, and a foldingbrace connected at its opposite ends to the respective leaves, wherebyeither of said leaves may be utilized as a back-rest and the other leafemployed as a rearwardly directed shelf.

5. In a railway car-seat, a walk-over backframe including verticalside-members upon each side of the seat, separate back-sections arrangedside by side in said frame, each said section composedof two leaveshingedly connected upon opposite sides of the frame and with each other,a folding brace hing edly connected at its opposite ends to each leaf,whereby either of said. leaves may be utilized as a back-rest and theother leaf employed as a rearwardly directed shelf, and means extendingto and actuated from one of said side members for releasably securingeither of said back-sections in closed condition.

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 5th day of UTAKIGHI KAWASAKI. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

